


Please Stay Forever With Me

by TheOrgasmicSeke



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human/Troll Society, Bottom John, Bulges and Nooks, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Christmas Tree, Dominate Karkat, Eridan and Dave are kismesis, Eridan and Karkat are moirails, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Smut, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, Human/Troll Relationship, John's a great singer, M/M, Nook Eating, Top Karkat, Ugly Holiday Sweaters, cause karkat has a dirty mouth like all the time, so sweet itll rot your teeth, ssjohnkat, though not that drity, troll prejudice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-01 20:40:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2787017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOrgasmicSeke/pseuds/TheOrgasmicSeke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After three years of friendship and another year in a matespriteship, John and Karkat get to spent their first Christmas together. Yet trolls never celebrate Christmas so it's very new to Karkat. And John is out to make this the best Christmas ever. For JohnKat Secret Santa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Please Stay Forever With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Merry Christmas! This is, of course, for the JohnKat secret santa over on tumblr. This is for [weobviouslyhavenolife](http://weobviouslyhavenolife.tumblr.com/) over on tumblr. I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT! Because I worked really hard and I'm very proud of this. I was given a pretty great list of things and I tried to throw about five or so of them into this so I hope you really like it!
> 
> [For your Christmas pleasure.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU1jcEWp0OE)
> 
> I suggest you listen to [this](http://the-orgasmic-seke.tumblr.com/post/105707440220/so-we-pitched-this-song-down-just-enough-to-match) song a little later into the story, near the end, because it's been fixed to fit John's singing voice and well, it makes it so much more emotional.
> 
> Enjoy!

On December 1st, Karkat woke to a morning that, at first, appeared like any other morning. But as he rolled over on to his side and crinkled his nose, the scent of freshly cooked bacon and cinnamon assaulted his senses. With a deep inhale, the troll tossed the blankets off his mostly bare body to sit up. Running a hand through his fluffed mess of raven hair, shimmering crimson flicked over the bedroom, taking note of his missing matesprite. He took a moment to yawn and rub at his eyes before he noticed the soft sound of music wafting down the hall to the opened bedroom door. An equally soft voice could be heard and it was all too familiar to the troll.

"Fuck." Karkat cursed softly, shutting his eyes as his upper lip came to curl over sharp fangs. That scent and that music could only mean one thing to the troll. Christmas. It was not as if Karkat hated the holiday. Honestly, he'd never had much of an issue with it. Aside from how crowded everything became. Oh, and the sickeningly sweet and horrible music that seemed to drift from practically everywhere. Oh, and how every time he went on Netflix he was bombarded with corny Christmas movies that made his fangs ache. He couldn't even enjoy his favorite soap opera without Christmas being thrown in. They were trolls; why the fuck were they dealing with Christmas. Hell, the only reason Karkat had to deal with it this year, for the first time in his life, was because his matesprite was human.

Trolls didn't celebrate Christmas. It was a weird ass human holiday that still made little sense to Karkat but he wanted to be a good matesprite and support his lover. It was the first year he was going to celebrate the holiday he knew little about. He knew about Santa and the gifts but that was about it. I figured he wasn't prepared for the coming month but hoped he could just wing it. He had enough human friends to know the basics of Christmas so that was the best start he could have.

The average sized troll shifted to get out of bed when a glimpse of green caught his attention. Laid out on the corner of the bed, where his matesprite slept, was one of the most atrocious things Karkat had ever seen. The sweater was black with a large green tree stitched into the front of it. The tree had strange golden tinsel hanging from it along with color bulbs and lights. The troll couldn't help but snort softly at the idea of Kanaya ever laying eye on the thing. He was sure she'd toss it into a blazing fire and feel no ounce of guilt for it.

Karkat moved to get up once again but something about the sweater tugged at him. With a sigh, he reached over and picked the thing up, finding it to be surprisingly soft to the touch. He crinkled his nose as he bunched the fabric between his hands. He brought the sweater to his nose and took a deep whiff. The intoxicating familiar scent of his matesprite filled his senses and sent a shiver down his spine. He silently cursed his matesprite for knowing him so well before he slid the atrocious thing over his messy hair and covered his torso. The black sleeves came to cover his hands and the neck was so wide, his collar-bone was for all to see, including the marks his lover had made the night before. Karkat was happy to wear the marks proudly, even in his crab covered boxers and ugly ass Christmas sweater.

Finally, the troll slipped of the bed and shuffled out of the bedroom to follow the scent of bacon and the sound of his lover singing. A smile curled to his lips at the sight of the tall lanky human standing in the kitchen, his hips moving to the slow beat of the radio as he moved about around the stove and counter. Karkat leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched his lover. Three years of friendship, a year of matespirteship and Karkat still couldn't get over the fact that this human wanted _him_. That John had chased after him; begged him for a chance. And Karkat had been in too much shock to accept. What would a human want with him? Nothing good of course. But they were friends and friends led to something else. Something Karkat never expected. Something he wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

"Oh!" John gasped as he turned to the side, suddenly noticing Karkat standing there. Crystal blue eyes floated over the troll, pausing on the sweater he wore with a smile before he met crimson eyes. "Good morning!"

Karkat grunted faintly, pushing off the door frame to approach his lover who happened to be wearing Karkat's black sweater. "You stole it." He commented, plucking at the soft black fabric with the tips of his claws.

John perked a brow at the other, unable to keep the smirk from his lips as he slipped a hand into black hair to tip the troll's head back slightly. The height difference was a thing. A thing Karkat enjoyed a bit more than he thought he should. Though sometimes it was just annoying when John used it to his advantage. "You wore it."

"Yes, well, unlike some globgoblinloving shitstains, I don't feel like walking around this globefreezing hive naked." The troll grumbled, his eyes narrow as he glanced up at his lover.

The smirk remained on John's lips as he slipped an arm around the others waist, pulling them together while his fingers settled in soft raven hair. "I'm not naked. I'm all toasty warm in _your_ sweater."

Grey cheeks flushed a lovely color of red but those glittering wine-colored eyes sparked with something that made John's throat dry. "You asshole, you did it on purpose."

"Course I did." He chuckled softly, leaning down enough to brush their lips together gently. "Cause I know it's a troll thing. Sharing clothes and stuff." John grinned as he pulled away from his lover to return to the stove. "Not to mention I've got the corniest boyfriend ever."

A hiss came from the trolls lips as he leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest, his cheeks still flaring red. Usually, Karkat would have a good retort on the tip of his tongue but sometimes, John just struck him with his thoughtfulness. Adapting to each other was not easy. It had not been in the beginning and there were still moments where they had to take a step back and think about how they were working.

Trolls and humans were different creatures. Vastly different. It was not as if they had lived side by side for centuries and adapted to one another without issues. No. Sure, trolls had always been there. Lurking in the darkness, existing without being known. But it was only sixty years ago that the existence of trolls was brought to light. It had been before Karkat and John were born but they still felt the strange prejudiced. Trolls were looked down upon. Fantastic creatures that society didn't completely accept. Sure, they lived their lives beside humans but Karkat never ignored the heated glares and veiled fear the humans expressed. It was worse when he was with John.

"Hey, spacedork." John bopped a finger against a button nose, making crimson eyes blink in surprise. "I asked you if you wanted some breakfast."

"Yeah." Karkat shook off the strange cloud of depression that suddenly settled over him and pushed off the counter. "What's the occasion?"

"It's December!" John replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world as he turned to prepare a plate for his lover.

"Uh-huh." Crimson outlined in black and framed with yellow followed the caramel-skinned human as he piled bacon, eggs and cinnamon toast on a plate. "Point?"

"Christmas, Karkat."

"That's not till, what, the twenty-something." He shrugged one shoulder as he moved to the full coffee pot on the counter. John really knew him so well. He grabbed his special mug, a black one with a grey cancer symbol on it, and poured himself a cup.

"Yes, but, all of December is a time to celebrate! Oh, here, try this!" John quickly passed Karkat to snatch something out of the fridge that he then handed the troll with a smile.

Karkat glanced over the bottle before meeting his lover's eyes. "What is it?"

"Peppermint creamer. Get in the spirit!"

He rolled his eyes but took the thing from the male to pour into his coffee. "It's too fucking early for you to be this gobtastically happy."

John hummed softly. "It's Christmas. And it's the first Christmas I get to share with you." He shrugged, leaning over the few inches shorter troll to plant a kiss to a grey cheek. "So, I'm happy."

Against his flushed face, Karkat just snorted and hid his smile behind his coffee cup. "Dork." He mumbled lovingly, watching as his matesprite returned to singing carols softly.

* * *

Exactly sixty-seven years ago, Trolls surfaced. They did no such thing by choice, of course. With so few in number, compared to humans, staying in hiding had always been the best option for them. They were primal creatures. Intelligent and surprisingly peaceful given their nature. No one was sure how long they had inhabited the planet but there were plenty of stories in ancient books that led scholars to believe trolls had been on the plant perhaps longer than humans. No one could be sure, however. Not even the trolls were aware exactly how long they'd been around. Only that they'd lived their lives hidden among humans for as long as they could remember.

Trolls were not peaceful by nature but considering their circumstances, they became so over a period of time. They were vastly outnumbered and though centuries ago, their teeth, claws and magic were enough to surpass humans, things had changed with modern times. Humans had weapons. Large, deadly weapons that trolls could not compete with. So they remained hidden. For some it was harder than others. Every troll had grey skin which was rather hard to hide to the human eyes. Every troll had horns but they came in different shapes and sizes. Though the coloring was always the same, like candy corn, the shapes and sizes varied as much as snowflakes. Thus, hiding horns was easier depending on the troll.

It happened by accident. The official reports were burned; so it's only a rumor now though there are some humans who still remember. The rumor, and vastly accepted truth, was about as far from the real truth as could be. In 1993, a string of gruesome murders popped up in Canada. The details are no longer known but that was perhaps for the best. The ending result lead to a troll. Who, in the end, turned out to be innocent but that didn't stop humans from prosecuting him. _Executing_ him. So, a gruesome turn of events lead to the show of trolls because their nature could not allow them to sit back and allow one of their own to be executed without reason.

The rest of the story has many different versions, but the widely accepted one is trolls melded into human society once that they were known. They were intelligent creatures and though they were few in number, they were strong. They wanted revenge but most of all, they just wanted to live. After years of dispute, death and experiments that would never be mentioned, the trolls were left to live freely among humans.

Now, that would be considered a happy thing but there's a thing about humans. They strive to be the top species. The strive to rule everything and ruin everything they touch. And trolls? They are a threat to them, or so many humans considered. Living as a troll in human society is not an easy thing. Even now, Sixty-seven years later, the young trolls feel the hatred on their backs. But they live, work, and breathe beside humans and take day by day.

Karkat Vantas was a troll who specifically felt an amount of hatred on his back for as long as he could remember. Humans were one thing but it was another to be hated by your own kind sometimes. He had no choice in his blood, none whatsoever, but with blood the exact color of humans, he was left to fend for himself as a grub. That was, until, another troll like himself came along. A mutant like him who took him in without a second thought. Though Karkat was grateful to Kankri for taking him in as a defenseless grub, their relationship, at best, was strained.

Karkat wasn't in the best place when he met Dave Strider; the arrogant asshole who started working at the same movie theater as him. Finding a job as a troll was tough, but the theater was a safe heaven for the troll. Good pay, nice co-workers, and he had to deal with customers on a minimum basis as one of the projector workers. Dave Strider was just one of those annoying humans who worked at the ticket booth. Tall, pale, blonde and insisted on wearing these obnoxious shades that just rubbed Karkat in the wrong way. The human took an interest in Karkat from the moment he saw him. There was no denying how much they enjoyed pushing each others buttons. For a while, Karkat wondered if humans could feel the same quadrant emotions as a troll because if so, he was sure he had a Kismesis on his hands.

That was until one particular night. It was a night like any other at work. Dave was dealing with idiots at the ticket booth and Karkat was safe and sound in his little booth. But when break rolled around, Karkat went off to the bathroom where he just happened to be cornered by one of the many bigoted assholes who thought trolls were evil little creatures that didn't deserve to exist. Threatening but not dangerous, or so Karkat assumed. With a swipe of his claws he could rip the man's face off. Until there were others. He was strong for his size but taking on three taller human men would not be easy for the troll. But he'd do it if he had to. Yet, he didn't have to. Lord knows how Dave knew. Hell if Karkat even understood why the human knew. But he was there, just as threatening as the men but directed at them, not Karkat. It was then the troll learned what real anger and hate looked like on the blonde's face, even under the ridiculous aviator shades.

Dave protected Karkat. He stood up for him which was something that had never happened before. No one had ever stood up for Karkat before. He was troll. A lower being and yet, Dave had done so. When questioned, the human just smirked, patted Karkat on the back and said, "We're bros, dude. Can't have anyone attacking my bro." And that was the start of an interesting friendship that to this day, Karkat cherished deeply, even if he would probably never admit it.

And that friendship lead to the most precious thing in Karkat's life.

John Egbert.

After the incident with the assholes, Karkat spent more time with Dave outside of work. Sure they still pushed each others buttons but in a way, they were there for each other and it was a type of friendship the troll was not used to. Karkat had always known of John but it wasn't until a year or so into his friendship with Dave that the blonde decided the two should meet. He was confident they'd get along what with their mutual love of crappy movies. The last thing he expected was for the two of them to get into a rather heated argument over said crappy movies the first time they met. Karkat outright refused to meet John again after that but Dave was having none of that.

It took three failed efforts before Dave got the two of them to click. It wasn't hard to see how much they actually enjoyed arguing with each other over movies. So of course the blonde wanted to push them together. His two best bros should be bros and after a lot of effort, he achieved his goal. Arguing turned into debating and eventually a mutual understanding that they both just liked crappy movies; though different crappy ones.

It was three years later that John kissed the troll out of the blue one night during their ritual movie night. It would be romantic to say Karkat kissed him back and they revealed their feelings to live happily ever after. But that was not how it went down. Karkat ran. He ran from John and refused to look back. Because, how? How could a human have those types of feelings for him? He was a _troll_ and John was human. It was a disaster waiting to just blow up in face. But John was not so willing to give up. For a while, he thought he'd done something wrong. But with Dave backing him, he continued to try to reach out to the troll. It took more effort than John would have thought to get Karkat to sit down and listen to him.

" _I like **who** you are, Karkat. What you are, though it's pretty cool, isn't something that matters to me. I don't mind that we're different. I just... I just care about you, okay? Isn't that enough for us to... I don't know, try?"_

The rest, well, that's history as they like to say.

* * *

Karkat grumbled softly beneath his breath as his eyes flicked over the many trees before him. Scattered about on white fabric were ten or so fake trees with an assortment of lights and decorations. Picking out a Christmas tree had been John's idea considering it didn't matter to Karkat in any way. Though, John was being respectful of Karkat's nature by deciding to pick out a fake tree. A real one was something the troll did not feel comfortable with. Though it had been centuries since trolls wondered the forests, he still felt a connection to nature that was hard to ignore sometimes. So out of respect for his lover, John decided to get a fake tree. He had no complaints about that but he intended for them to pick out one together. Their first Christmas together was a pretty big deal after all.

"See one you like?" John asked softly, his bright eyes scanning over the trees with a smile on his lips.

The troll shrugged, his clawed hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie. "It's just a tree."

"Yeah, but it's a Christmas tree, Karkat." John sighed softly as he moved away from his lover to inspect a few of the trees. The display was nice but it honestly didn't interest Karkat in any manner. "We set it up together and decorate it. That's pretty romantic right? Like something in one of your books."

Grey cheeks flushed lightly as he tugged down the green beanie on his head subconsciously, hoping his pointed ears were still hidden well. "You are the least romantic person I know."

"Aw, you wound me, Karkat." A hint of a smirk lingered on John's lips as he turned to walk along the line of fake trees.

The large store was filled with people and though sometimes when it felt as if they were alone, they were far from it. The hair on the back of Karkat's neck bristled every time a person passed behind him. There was an older woman standing not too far from him, looking over the trees much like he was and there was a man with his two children wandering along the tree line. The strange looks he received were nothing new. Though his horns and ears were hidden beneath the beanie he'd stolen from John; his grey skin was impossible to keep hidden.

"Can you just pick one already?" He grumbled softly, slumping his shoulders and glanced to the ground.

Blue eyes glanced up, taking in those slumped shoulders and the look of one passerby. His lips curled into a frown as he approached the troll and wasted no time in slipping his arm around those shoulders to pull the troll against his side. John was pretty good at ignoring those around him but he knew Karkat was not. Those crimson eyes snapped to him in surprise as John lead the troll toward the trees. "This is a thing we do together, Karkat. It can be tradition you know? Well sort of since fake trees can last many Christmas'. But still, this is a big deal. I know you don't celebrate it and I'm honestly grateful you're putting up with this for my sake." A genuine smile curled to his lips as he leaned forward, pressing his lips against the fabric of the beanie where he knew Karkat's ear was. "I know you're secretly enjoying this, so for once, ignore them, okay." He mumbled softly.

Karkat tugged at his bottom lip with his fangs as he glanced up to his four inches taller matesprite. Showing their relationship in any public setting was dangerous. Any troll/human relationship was severely frowned upon and rather rare so the hate was to be expected. Hate formed from a sort of fear that neither Karkat nor John understood. They weren't hurting anything. But humanity was humanity and there wasn't a thing they could do about that.

"I like the white one." Karkat mumbled after a few moments of them standing there, getting strange looks among the murmur of the crowd.

John hummed softly as his arm slipped over Karkat's shoulder, rubbed down his back, over his waist, and then fell away to rest at his side. "With the lights?" He questioned, his eyes focused on the two white trees that he found to be pretty.

"It'd be easier that way, wouldn't it? I don't even want to think about us fucking around with tangled lights." He shivered at the thought.

John chuckled softly, leaning over to plant a kiss against Karkat's head before he turned to walk away from the trees to find the box they needed. "You really read too many of those books, Karkat."

The troll hissed softly and moved to follow the other only to stumble when his knee connected with the arm of a small blonde child. He froze, crimson eyes locking with the bright blue of the little girl. They stared at each other for a moment before John realized he wasn't being followed. He paused beside the stacks of boxes and watched as the little girl reached up a hand to Karkat.

"Troll." She commented softly, a smile on her lips as she reached for Karkat. "Pretty troll!"

Karkat blinked in slight surprise, his breath sticking in his dry throat as he just started down at the bright smiling girl. "Human." He commented, perking a brow as she continued to smile at him. "Pretty human." The little girl let out a string of giggles, hiding her mouth behind her hand as she bounced.

"Oh! Amanda!" Crimson and blue glanced up when a young woman came over and swooped up the little girl in her arms. "I'm so sorry." The mother shook her head with a faint smile on her lips as her eyes landed on Karkat. "I hope she didn't bother you."

"Uh." Karkat glanced around for a moment, blue meeting dark red, before shaking his head. "No."

"Good. She has this fascination with... well, your kind. I do apologize. I've tried to teach her not be so rude." The woman's face was kind and her eyes warm, revealing the truth behind her words.

Karkat was at a bit of a loss. Kind humans were one thing. But he had yet to run into a human who was okay with him around their children. "It's... fine."

"Mama, I wanna see his horns!" The little girl pouted softly, her bright eyes glancing between Karkat and her mother.

The mother bit her lower lip, shaking her head. "You have to ask politely, Mandie."

The little girl wiggled until her mother finally put her back down on her feet. She couldn't be much older than five or six years. She flattened out her purple dress and stood before Karkat with a bright smile on her face. "May I see your horns, Mr. Troll?"

Crimson eyes widened considerably and all he could do was stare at her. Her smile was bright and warm, something Karkat was not used to seeing from a stranger. Her mother's smile was just as kind and that was all he could focus on. And then there was John. Standing a good ten feet away, with a warm smile on his lips that encouraged his matesprite and made his heart clench. With a deep breath and a faint hiss, Karkat tugged the beanie from his head as he knelt to the girl's level. He ran a clawed hand through his mess of fluffy raven hair to settle around his short nubby horns. The pointed tips of his ears peeked out from his jaw length hair and the soft squeal the girl let out made him wince.

"Be polite." Amanda's mother reminded her.

Amanda smiled, tucked her hands behind her back and leaned forward on her toes as Karkat tipped his head down enough for the girl to see his horns. "They're pretty."

Karkat wasn't entirely sure how to take that but he just nodded, tilting his head back so he could meet her eyes. "Grew 'em myself."

"That's so cool!" She beamed, bouncing slightly before her eyes landing on his claws, gripping the beanie he'd been wearing. She gasped and without thinking much, she reached forward and grabbed his hand between hers.

"Oh, Mandie-" He mother moved forward but Karkat just shook his head, waving his free hand at the woman.

"It's fine." He murmured softly, watching as she turned his grey hand over and over.

"Do they hurt?" She asked, poking at one of his claws with her finger.

"If you're not careful enough they can. I know how to use them though." He shrugged, his heart racing in his chest but those blue eyes kept him grounded.

"You're so cool." She mumbled, rubbing over the part where black claw blended with grey skin. "Trolls are so cool."

"Glad you think so." The soft smirk that curled his lips made the girl smile and her mother to flush just slightly. It was then John decided to finally step in.

"I didn't know you were so good with kids." The male commented softly, a teasing smirk on his lips as he stepped up beside the troll.

Karkat's lips curled over his top fangs, a hiss escaping as he slowly stood, slipping his hand out of Amanda's carefully. "I'm not." He tugged the hat back on over his horns and ears, smashing his hair down against his forehead, cheeks and neck.

"You are." The mother suddenly commented, picking up her child to hold her against a hip. "You've been very kind with putting up with her; Thank you so much. No other troll has allowed her to do such things."

Karkat just shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black hoodie. "It's fine."

"It's pretty cool actually." John commented, slipping an arm around Karkat's back to rest his hand on his hip. "It's kinda rare to see kids take an interest in trolls like that."

"Oh, she's just fascinated. I've tried to teach her it's rude to stare and that trolls are just like us but well, she can't seem to help herself."

"Cause trolls are like unicorns!" Amanda commented. "Cept real!"

Karkat snorted at her comment while John let out a bubble of laughter. "Well, She's got a point." John stated through a bit of laughter.

Karkat managed a good nudge to the human's ribs which made John wince. "She's an interesting kid."

"Yes, thank you." The mother bowed her head. "Thank you so much. And I apologize once again."

"Don't worry about it." Karkat reminded her.

"Yeah, Merry Christmas." John stated with a smile.

"Merry Christmas." The mother nodded with a smile before turning to walk away.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Troll and Mr. Troll's human!" Amanda called over her mother's shoulder, earning much more attention than was necessary.

Karkat growled softly but John just laughed, patting his lover's back. "Ha! I'm _your_ human." He chuckled, leaning closer to press into the troll's neck. "Little girl knows more than she should." His voice dropped into something much more sensual than Karkat was prepared for and by the time he came back to his senses, John was smirking at him.

"Shut up." He hissed, elbowing him in the side before he turned toward the boxes of tree. "Let's just get this goddamn tree before I lose the little ounce of fucking patience I have left."

"You're so cute sometimes." John commented, planting a kiss on the troll's cheek before moving to grab the tree they wanted.

Karkat took a deep breath, pausing to glance around the store. He met eyes with a few people who quickly looked away at his deep crimson settled in yellow. His eyes narrowed slightly but there was a warmth in his heart that could not be touched. That little girl left him with a hope that he never thought possible. Maybe one day trolls could walk around without the knowledge that most everyone around them hated them. Maybe one day humans and trolls would live 100% peacefully together. It was a fantasy that Karkat felt probably would never come true; But, it was a start.

* * *

Saturday night was always movie night. Whether Karkat had to work, or John did, no matter what, Saturday night was movie night. But this Saturday was different. Karkat had been lucky enough to get a Saturday off and John had worked the morning shift at the warehouse, so it was rare for them to have the afternoon off together. That was why John suggested they get their tree. Of course, getting their tree lead to setting it up in the corner of their open living room, beside a window that over looked the back lot of the apartment building.

"It's so white." Karkat commented, a fang caught on his bottom lip as he stood on the kitchen, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

John paused in hanging a plastic snowflake on the tree and stood up straight, glancing back at his lover. "But you said you liked it."

"I do." He shrugged one shoulder. "But it looks like a snowman threw up."

Blue eyes blinked. "Is that good or bad?"

"I don't know." Karkat sighed softly, running a hand through his hair. Soft Christmas music floated in the air from the kitchen radio and the living room was quite the disaster area from their decorating. Boxes littered the floor, couches and tables along with tinsel, lights and other random knickknacks John had received from his father a few days earlier.

John crinkled his nose as he placed the snowflake on the tree before standing up straight. He took a few steps back to look the tree over. He tilted his head from side to side, pushed his lips around and then threw his hands up in the air. "It looks like Frosty threw up!" He groaned.

Shimmering crimson scanned over the white glistening tree. The tree came with white lights, wrapped around it perfectly and though it had been a hassle putting it together, Karkat liked how it looked. But with the plastic snowflakes and silver bulbs, it looked a bit different. After a moment of debate, Karkat pushed off the wall and approached his matesprite.

"Actually." With a tender smile on his lips, Karkat leaned against John's side, his claws slipping over the male's lower back as he looked up at the mostly finished tree. "It's kinda pretty."

John's breath stilled for a second as he glanced down to his lover, those swirling crimson eyes filling his chest with warmth. "You really think so?"

"It's a bit of a wreck. A combination of a whole fuckfest of shit that doesn't really match. It's us, John." The troll spoke rather fondly and made the human flush darkly.

"We're a fuckfest of shit?"

Karkat shrugged, tilting his head against John's shoulder, his cheeks flushed but after so long being together, the embarrassment was gone. "But, it's pretty."

After a second, John released the breath he was holding and let out a laugh. "That's one of the most romantic things I've ever heard you say to me." He chuckled, shifting to slip his arms around Karkat's waist to pull their chests together. He knocked their foreheads together, his blue eyes bright as he smiled tenderly at his lover. "I love you, Karkat."

The troll's breath hitched and he pushed closer, slipping his arms around John's waist to pull them closer. His claws gripped along those bony hips as he pushed upward, not wasting a second to press their lips together. John smiled into the kiss, his eyes slipping shut as he pressed closer to savor the feel of those warm lips against his own. Karkat always tasted of something spicy and musky. It was addicting and John was sure he could never get enough of it.

"I pity you more than I probably should." Karkat mumbled, pulling his lips away from John's with a soft "smack". His cheeks flushed, his eyes swirled with emotion and it made both of them fill with warmth. A soft burning feeling in the pit of their stomachs that reached their chests to spread out to their fingertips.

John smirked fondly as he wiggled his hips, slipping his arms over Karkat's back. "Do you hear that?"

"What?" The troll blinked in slight surprise.

John bit his lower lip against his smile as he grabbed the troll's hips and tried to get him to move from side to side with him. "It's Jingle Bell Rock." He glanced at the radio in the kitchen.

"Oh god, no John." Karkat grunted and quickly pulled away from the other, a smile playing on his lips. "I'm not in the mood."

"Aw, come on baby." John snatched up Karkat's hand and pulled them back together, a bright smile on his face as he wrapped one arm around the troll's waist and the other linked their fingers together. "Dance with me."

"You are a fruit. A huge motherfucking fruit cup." Karkat groaned, rolling his eyes against the smile tugging on his lips. "Seriously, what the fuck do I see in you."

"Hell if I know." He chuckled, moving his feet to the beat of the song and tried to get Karkat to move with him. After a push and a shove the troll released a groan and allowed the human to move him. John grinned, pulling their waists together as they moved from side to side with the beat of the song. Karkat moved a bit unwillingly but let John move them together and before the troll knew it, John parted his lips to sing along with the song.

" _What a bright time, it's the right time, to rock the night away._ " He sang softly, smiling at the way Karkat's eyes lit up as their bodies moved together. John sang along with the song, earning Karkat's full attention like he knew he would and drifted them around the living room, hips moving and feet sliding along the floor. Karkat was always mesmerized by John's singing voice. The boy was talented and he knew the effect his voice had on the troll. Karkat barely had a second to think before he was twirled away from John only to be brought right back. He snorted fondly as the male continued to sing to him, his arms around his waist once again, moving them together in a sensual sway against the beat.

Karkat was in love with the biggest fucking dork on the planet and he wouldn't change it for anything in the universe.

* * *

While Karkat made his way up the two flights of stairs to the apartment he shared with his matesprite, he grumbled under his breath, his face pulled into a tight scowl and his boots clicking hard against the tiled floor. He'd had a particularity hard day at work due to a few more assholes he had no choice but to deal with. He'd quit his job at the theater years ago when the opportunity to work at Slever's Corner came up. Better pay, better hours, better work environment. Not to mention Karkat was surrounded by his second favorite thing. Books. But there were days when he had to deal with a bigoted customer who refused to let him serve them. Good thing he had full permission from the store's owner to tell customers off in that case. Karkat hated dealing with people like that. He wasn't diseased; he was just different.

So when he came through their apartment door, his mood was sour and his face reflected it. The door shut quietly behind him but he paused when a strange scent assaulted his nose. It was sweet, so sweet and sugary it made his fangs water. His black cat-like pupils dilated as he glanced up, noticing John in the kitchen with an assortment of cookies spread out over their round kitchen table. One of his ears twitched, taking note of the Christmas music in the air before he finally moved to kick off his boots. They joined John's well-worn yellow converses before he pulled off his coat, hanging it beside John's. The beanie remained for a moment as he crossed the space of the living room, toward the kitchen. The scent attacked his senses as he tugged the green thing that belonged to John off his head and tossed it on to one of the black couches.

"Welcome Home!" John stated over his shoulder, flashing the troll a smile before he returned to whatever he was doing. His clothes had patches of flour and other oddly colored things that made Karkat think the human had rolled around in a cake. But that would be impossible. John hated sweets. Which was why Karkat was pretty dumbfounded to find his matesprite happily baking cookies to Christmas music in their kitchen.

"What the everfuck are you doing?" Karkat mumbled, pausing at the small island, keeping it between himself and John.

"Baking." John answered innocently enough.

"I can see that, dickwad. _Why?"_

John hummed, lifting up the plastic bag full of frosting in his hand to place it back down on the counter. He grinned as he turned around, placing the plate of freshly decorated sugar cookies on the island counter between them. Santa Clause, reindeer and Christmas trees greeted crimson eyes when Karkat glanced down. "Because Dave asked me to."

"You _hate_ sweets. And why the fuck would he do that?" Claws curled against the edge of the counter as he leaned forward, taking a whiff of the delicious cookies.

"His party. It's this weekend. And, yes, Karkat I do. Cause my Dad loved to bake all the time and I eventually got sick of it. But, I've learned a lot of from him and it wouldn't be Christmas without some cookies." He shrugged, his eyes bright and his smile tender as he watched the troll. "Besides, You love sweets. And I love you. So, yeah." He chuckled with a shrug, brushing his hands off on the absurd red apron he wore.

Shimmering wine watched as the human turned back around to stuff another pan of cookies into the oven. His heart hammered in his chest and for a moment, Karkat didn't know what to say. It was sweet to say the least. He knew how much John hated sweets. The boy would gag at even the thought of eating a cookie. But he baked them. He baked them with love because he... Well, fuck. The troll slipped around the island without a second thought and before John could properly react, his waist was grabbed by sharp claws and he was pulled against a strong chest. There was a hint of a smirk on his lips when claws slipped into his short dark hair and he was pulled down for a hard kiss.

John pressed hard against those lips, taking a step closer as he angled his head to fit them better. A growl escaped the troll's lips, sending a chill down John's spine as those claws tightened on his hair. John tasted of fresh air and something else Karkat couldn't quite put his finger on but fuck it was addicting and he would never get enough of it. He parted his lips, flicking his tongue over the human's lower lip before he pulled away enough to meet those beautiful blue eyes.

"I shouldn't pity you this much." Karkat mumbled softly, his face flushed all the way to the tips of his ears.

John laughed softly, leaning forward to knock their foreheads together. "It's called love, Karkat."

The troll hissed softly, his lips curling over his full set of fangs before he let out a soft sigh. "Yeah, maybe it is."

Blue eyes blinked. "What?"

"Maybe it is." He repeated, slipping his hand down the back of John's neck to grip the human as his claws plucked at his sides.

Tanned cheeks flushed darkly and after a moment of debating, John leaned back enough to remove his black framed glasses and place them out of reach. Crimson eyes watched him with a perked brow as the human dipped his finger into a bowl of frosting and then offered it to the troll. "Here, Try it."

Karkat eyed that green covered finger for a moment, glancing up at heated blue eyes before he moved forward. He parted his lip, letting his long pointed tongue slip out to wrap around John's finger and bring the appendage into his awaiting mouth. The sweetness of the frosting was a bite to Karkat's senses but beneath that was the taste that could only be John Egbert. A little salty, but so human it made Karkat's knees weak.

Crimson eyes flared with heat, sending a shiver down John's spine and making his throat dry. He knew that look all too well and even though he'd planned for it, it still got him every time. Karkat took his time in sucking the frosting from John's finger, flicking his tongue around the appendage in his mouth until John was flushed and panting slightly. A smirk curled to those plump lips as he released the human's finger only to grab the back of John's head and force their lips together. John grunted at the sweetness that filled his senses but his eyes slipped closed against the force of the kiss.

The tips of claws scraped along his scalp, keeping him in place while Karkat's fangs nipped at the sensitive flesh of his lower lip. John eagerly parted his lips, allowing that strange tongue into his mouth. Their tongues met for a second before Karkat's was gone, his hands pulling John closer till they were pressed flush against one another. Karkat licked his lips, tasting what only John Egbert could taste like, sweetness and sunlight, a smirk forming along his plump lips as he slipped a clawed hand over the male's hip.

John dipped his head down, capturing those lips again without a second thought. The grunt that came from the troll's throat was pleasing and using the leverage of his height, he grabbed those hips and shifted them till Karkat was pressed back against the counter. Lips and fangs moved against his lips as he pressed closer, his hands settling on Karkat's lower back before the troll let out a soft clicking sound from the back of his throat. John twitched at the sound that went right into the warm pit of his stomach. Blunt nails dug into Karkat's sides as he pressed their hips together but Karkat was having none of that.

With a sharp tug of short dark hair and a grasp of a bony hip, John found himself pushed against the island counter, the edge digging into the curve of his ass. The troll growled and when John opened his eyes once again, the fiery crimson that met him made his chest constrict. His breath become a little harder to find and he didn't object when those lips were back on his and those claws were scraping down his sides, catching on the fabric of his clothing. Karkat arched onto his toes, doing his best to make their height even as he practically put all his weight against the human.

Their kisses slowed into a languid movement of lips and tongues but their hearts beat in sync. They had time. Plenty of time. All the time in the world and that made it all that more meaningful. Karkat was careful as he tried to slide a hand under John's blue shirt. But the apron was in the way and though Karkat knew they had time, he was in no mood for any obstacles. When the snapping of claws reached John's ears it was too late for him to stop Karkat. He pouted faintly when the apron fell to the ground; the small strings that were holding it up snipped in two.

"You could have untied it." The human mumbled softly, giving a woeful glance to the apron on the floor before he met glistening crimson.

Karkat only perked a brow before he pushed forward, burying his face into John's neck where he planted a series of kisses. "We can fix it later."

"Ah." John's breath hitched at the feel of those plump lips and warm, wet tongue sliding over his flesh. One hand found its way into soft raven hair while the other gripped a strong shoulder. He tilted his head back just enough to give Karkat better access to his throat where the troll was happy to leave little nips with his dangerously sharp fangs.

Claws scraped their way over John's waist before pushing up the hem of his shirt to slip underneath. The warmth and scrape of claws against bare skin made the human shiver as Karkat moved upwards. They pulled apart long enough for Karkat to pull off John's shirt before pressing back together, lips meeting in a searing kiss. The claws slipping over his ribs made the human shake, his knees weakening. He tugged at raven hair, pulling Karkat's head back enough so he could get that mouth open. He slipped his tongue inside, careful of those fangs as Karkat's claws made easy work out of the front of his jeans.

" _A-Ah._ Shit, Karkat _."_ The human gasped suddenly, shifting on to the balls of his feet when a warm hand slipped into his boxers and cupped his soft length.

The troll only smirked against those lips, wrapping his fingers around the human's cock to get a good grip. Careful of his claws, he started to squeeze the length at the base. It was a cock to be proud of; Or so Karkat thought. It was one of the physical things Karkat really loved about his matesprite. With a few expert squeezes and strokes, Karkat had John hard, panting and making those lovely little sound less than a minute later.

He loved John like this. Panting, mouth open, blue eyes dark, cheeks flushed. He loved it even more when the human was beneath him like that. But when he moved to capture those flushed lips once again, John pulled away. The troll had a split second of panic before he found his back connecting with the edge of the counter. John dropped to his knees before the troll and the sense of relief and spark of realization made him shiver. His claws gripped the counter behind him as John set to work undoing his black jeans.

They worked together to get Karkat's jeans and boxer briefs down his hips and out of their way. Heated crimson eyes watched as John smirked faintly, leaning forward to lick the grey skin below where Karkat's belly button would have been if he were not a troll. The tip of a red bulge wiggled in the air slightly, still keeping mostly hidden but curious nonetheless at the attention the troll was receiving. Blue met crimson as he leaned forward, flattened out his tongue and gave that wet, red bulge a languid lick.

"F-Fuck." Karkat breathed out between clenched fangs, his claws scrapping along the bottom of the counter as a wave of pleasure coursed through his body.

John just smiled, giving his lover a lingering glance before focusing his attention on the bulge before him. He knew how to work his lover. He knew what Karkat loved most and John loved doing it just about as much as Karkat loved receiving it. Karkat knew that look in John's eyes so when the human ran blunt nails over his grey thigh, he willingly parted his legs. It took a bit of effort but after a moment of movement, John had one of Karkat's legs over his shoulder and the troll was holding himself up against the counter, the edge digging into his lower back though he didn't care too much.

John licked his lips, glancing up at that beautifully flushed and lust-filled face before pressing his face right up against Karkat's nook. The chirp he received was everything he could have ever hoped for. Keeping one hand on the thigh beside his head and the other cupping a firm ass cheek, John ran his tongue over the red, wet lips that welcomed him. Karkat's head fell back but those glowing eyes remained on the human as he licked along the seam, the taste sending a rush of blood between his legs.

Karkat tasted of something sweet though it was incomparable to anything John had ever tasted before. He wasn't a man for sweets but well, Karkat was a different type of sweet all together and he sure couldn't get enough of the troll. Blue eyes slipped shut as he set to work licking along that warm wet seam, spreading the lips till he could feel that red bulge slip out more. He licked upwards, pausing at the base of Karkat's bulge before pushing forward, his nose pressing against his bulge, his chin pressed against his nook and his lips found home against the sensitive flesh where they met.

" _Holy fucking cumguts_." Karkat gasped out, his voice a bit deeper and huskier then normal as a clawed hand slipped into short dark hair. His eyes were practically glowing even in the bright light of the kitchen, his pupils so blown it was hard to tell his eyes were actually crimson instead of black. His top fangs caught on his bottom lip, a light trickle of red blood slipping down his chin from the pressure in which he had been biting his lip. He was absolutely beautiful and John would never get over how _he_ was the person to make Karkat that way.

The claws gripping his hair was a sign to move forward, so John did. With a faint smirk on his lips, he shifted. Blunt nails dug into Karkat's thigh while his tongue pushed passed the wet seam. He kept a grip on Karkat's hip the best he could as those hips convulsed against his mouth. He slipped his eyes shut, focused on pushing his tongue about as deep inside the troll as he could. Karkat gasped, his body convulsing and he nearly slipped off the counter. He caught himself before he did but he knew there wasn't much more he could take given their position but fuck if it didn't feel good.

John chuckled softly as he pulled away to re-position himself. Carefully, he lifted Karkat's other leg from the ground. The troll took his weight, placing both hands back on the counter as he lifted up enough to toss his other leg over John's shoulder. The edge of the counter dug into his lower back, his claws sank into the counter but he was more stable then he had been before. When John dived right back in, his legs tightened against the human's back and his eyes focused on the way his transparent red genetic material spread over that flushed tanned face. It was one of the most erotic things Karkat had ever seen and he could never get enough of it.

That tongue slipped inside him, in and out and it took every ounce of self-control Karkat had to keep himself up right. The muscles in his upper arms shook and screamed at him but he ignored them, much too focused on the human between his legs and the pleasure sparking through his body. John curved his tongue, pushed forward and pressed against a certain little spot that made Karkat chirp in surprise. The string of curses that fell out of Karkat's mouth in a breathless moan made John's body convulse in pleasure. His cock screamed to be touched between his legs but he wouldn't. Not yet.

But Karkat couldn't hold out. Even though he tried his best, with that tongue pressed against such a spot inside him, the pleasure took over and his arms gave out. John was relatively prepared and took Karkat's weight with both of his hands gripping the troll's ass. Carefully, he shifted, letting Karkat's legs fall on either side of him to the floor and lowered the troll into his lap. Karkat panted softly, his eyes closed for a second as he slipped his arms around the human's neck. John just smiled, rubbing his hands under the troll's black sweater to feel twitching muscles.

When Karkat opened his eyes again, his pupils were so blown that not even a sliver of crimson could be seen. It sent a spark to John's cock that made him whimper faintly in the back of his throat. Karkat's lips curled over his fangs in a smirk that John knew all too well. When his back connected with the cabinets of the island he wasn't all that surprised but his breath still caught in his throat. His body flushed with warmth at the look in those glowing eyes and he shifted to accommodate Karkat kneeling between his legs.

Their lips met in a kiss, claws gripping his chin as Karkat worked on tugging down John's pants and underwear. They worked together and with a tug and a pull, John was completely bare for the troll to enjoy. And enjoy he did. One hand slipped into short hair while the other gripped a bony hip. John's cock was at full attention, rosy red at the tip, the foreskin pushed back on its own to pool around the mushroom shaped tip. Karkat's bright red bulge twisted against his stomach, as eager as ever and his nook pulsed with a warmth so tight it made him pant softly.

Karkat moved forward, capturing those lips for only a second before he pulled away, meeting dark blue eyes. "What do you want?" He purred softly, his voice vibrating against the chirp in his throat as he pressed the pad of his thumb against the base of John's throbbing cock.

John arched his back, not caring that he was bare ass naked on the kitchen floor. It wasn't the first time. He bit his lower lip and without a second thought, spread his legs just a bit wider. That was the only answer Karkat would ever need. Though he was all for slipping his cock into that tight wet nook, there was something about how Karkat was looking at him that made him want something else. The smirk that came to those red plump lips was enough to make John moan faintly in pleasure.

Karkat didn't reply. He just moved forward, hands gripping John's hips to pull the human against him. With his knees bent, he was able to pull John up into his lap while the human's back rest against the cabinet. Karkat's back arched so he could press his lips to John's as his bulge flapped about for a second before sliding along John's cock.

" _Ah, ah, shit_." John groaned, his head tilting back to knock against the cabinet. " _Fuck,_ Karkat that feels good." He panted lightly, his dark blue eyes focused on the bulge wrapping around his throbbing cock.

Karkat's brow furrowed slightly as he slipped his tongue out to lap at the red material slathering John's cheeks and chin. The human moaned deep in his chest, lifting his hips slightly as that bulge tightened around his cock. Transparent red-coated his cock, slipped passed his sack and dripped down Karkat's thighs to pool on the floor beneath them. If there was one thing Karkat was good at, it was lubrication without even trying. And John fucking loved it.

" _S-Shit, Karkat, oh fucking hell_ don't tease me like that _."_ John groaned, his eyes slipping shut and his body arching with each squeeze Karkat's bulge gave his cock.

The troll hummed, a smirk playing on his lips as he lapped up the last bit of material on John's face. "Oh really? You seem to be enjoying it."

" _Jesus fucking shit."_ John gasped, his lips parting in a sensual way as that bulge squeezed him a bit tighter. "You're a bastard. A full fucking bastard I swear to fuck." He groaned, shifting to part his legs more before they fell on their own on either side of Karkat's waist. It was the open invitation the troll had been waiting for. But well, he could tease a bit more.

"You never said what you wanted." Karkat pointed out, his breath coming tight as his heart pounded in his chest. He leaned forward, planting his palms against the floor on either side of John's torso before knocking their noses together.

" _Fuck."_ John groaned, his body warm with pleasure until that bulge was gone and he was left begging for more. " _Ugh._ Fucking hell, Karkat."

"Hm?" The troll nuzzled his way into John's neck, licking at the sensitive skin beneath his ear. "You want me to keep doing what I was doing? Or," He pressed a smirk against John's skin as his voice dropped an octave, "do you want me to drive you senseless with my bulge inside you? Or would you rather shove your cock inside me? Hm, John? I can't know if you don't tell me."

John let out a soft huff of frustration and his mind was too fuzzy with pleasure and lust to care that he released the most pitiful whine from his throat. "Fucking-Damnit, Karkat, fuck me. For all that is fucking good in this world, fuck me before I push you down and do it myself."

"All you had to do was ask." Karkat grunted softly, pulling back enough to capture those lips with his own. John moaned, arching his back and slipped his arms around Karkat's shoulder, digging both hands into soft sweat-damp raven hair. Their lips moved together slowly, sensual, as Karkat's bulge slipped down John's cock, pausing to poke at the foreskin and slip underneath for just a second. John whimpered, shifting his hips against Karkat's and earned a groan for his effort.

Karkat took a good nip at John's lower lip, breaking the skin so he could eagerly lap up the blood that spilled out. John moaned, his eyes slipping shut as one hand slipped out of Karkat's hair to press into his back, pulling the troll closer. The bulge twisted for a moment before it moved past John's sack, rubbed over the skin beneath it and then found the place it was looking for.

" _Fuck fuck fuck."_ John cursed beneath his panting breath, his grip tightening on Karkat as the tip of the troll's bulge rubbed between his ass cheeks. It only took a few seconds for Karkat to coat the male's entrance with enough material to make it slick. He pulled their lips apart and sunk his teeth into the human's shoulder as the tip of his bulge pushed past the ring of muscles and slipped inside.

" _Oh."_ John moaned, tilting his head back as Karkat sucked the wound he'd made. _"M-More."_

Of course Karkat was willing to oblige his lover. He twisted his bulge slightly, earning a gasp of pleasure from his lover, before pushing forward. His bulge straightened out and pushed deeper inside the human until he couldn't push any farther. John wiggled his hips at the intrusion but his body stretched to allow the other male. There was a slight sting of pain when the meatier part of Karkat's bulge slipped inside but it was something John rather enjoyed. Probably a bit too much.

The difference between Karkat fucking John and John fucking Karkat was the movement. Karkat didn't need to thrust like John did. He stayed still as his bulge twisted and moved about within the human. It was enough to drive both of them insane. John was tighter than any nook Karkat could have dreamed of and Karkat was hotter and more flexible than any cock John could have dreamed up. They were so vastly different but they fit together so well that it made John's heart swell with love.

All it took was a certain twist and a curve for Karkat to push against that special little bundle of nerves that would send John over the edge. Blunt nails dug into his back, clawing along his grey skin. If they were any sharper, Karkat was sure they would break skin with the force.

"T-There. _Oh holy fucking hell, Karkat_." John moaned, his breath coming in pants as he pulled the troll closer with the grip he had on his hair.

Their lips brushed together and their eyes met; filling both of them with a comforting warmth. It wouldn't take much; they both knew that at this point. Karkat's claws gripped John's hips, digging into tanned skin without breaking it as their lips pressed together. Karkat rolled his hips once, angling his bulge to go just a bit deeper. That was all John needed. His body was buzzing with pleasure, ready to spill over the edge and when the tip of Karkat's bulge pressed and convulsed against that ball of nerves, over and over again, the band snapped.

A string of curses fell from John's lips as he grasped at Karkat's shoulders for something to hold on to as a wave of pleasure crashed over him. Karkat groaned, dipping his head down into the human's shoulder as the muscles around his bulge squeezed tightly. He groaned, gritting his teeth as he let John ride out his climax. It was a moment before John relaxed his hold on Karkat and his muscles loosened around Karkat's bulge.

"Ah, damn." John chuckled softly, opening his eyes slowly to see his matesprite watching him with desperate dark eyes. "Mm, right." John was careful as he slipped off Karkat's lap. The bulge didn't want to leave him but Karkat moved back enough to push against the cabinets opposite the ones John was against. "Sorry, sorry, come here baby." John mumbled softly, his voice still thick with sex as he got on he knees between Karkat's spread legs. The downside of Karkat fucking John was always this. Karkat couldn't get off on just his bulge. He needed his nook touched and John didn't exactly have the equipment to do both at the same time.

John planted a warm kiss to Karkat's cheek, his body moving with little stability from his recent orgasm. His hands were shaking as he took the twisting bulge between them. Karkat let out a sigh of relief, his head thunking against the cabinet so he could watch John with half-lidded eyes. The human gave his lover a tender smile as he moved forward to capture his lips. It wouldn't take much; John could tell with how Karkat's bulge was convulsing in his hands. With his free hand, he rubbed over Karkat's hip before slipping past his bulge to press two fingers against his wet seam.

Karkat groaned and released an urging chirp, his back arching just enough to get John better access to his nook. John was careful as he rubbed the tips of his fingers over the wet warm entrance. His other hand squeezed the bulge wrapped between his fingers and he gasped at the sound Karkat made. He swallowed hard, his eyes focusing on Karkat's flushed face as he pushed those two fingers inside. The troll's legs fell open on either side of John and his claws gripped onto his shoulders rather tightly. Their lips pressed together a little harder as John curled his fingers and wiggled them against the spot he knew drove Karkat crazy.

With a good tug and a hard press against that spot, Karkat was sent tumbling over the edge without a chance of catching himself. John kept him close, kissing him deeply as the troll chirped and moaned against his lips, claws digging into his shoulders barely hard enough to break skin. The rush of fluid that came over John's hand made him shiver and a ghost of an orgasm slipped over his sensitive cock.

It was a moment before Karkat came back to his senses and when he did, John was smiling at him, his wet sticky hands resting on Karkat's thighs. The troll panted softly as he pushed off the cabinet to sit up straight. He wrapped his arms around John's shoulders and brought him close so their lips could meet in a sweet, tender kiss.

"You made a mess." John mumbled when they pulled apart for air, a twinkle in his blue eyes and a smile on his lips.

Karkat glanced between them, taking note of the red pool of material spreading over the tiled floor. "Your fault."

"Mhm, totally my fault." John chuckled softly, capturing those lips once again. "And I'd do it again."

Karkat crinkled his nose against the red flush on his cheeks as he sniffed the air and turned toward the oven not too far from him. "Smells like sex, cookies and burnt shit."

"Crap!" John quickly pulled away from Karkat to scramble to his feet. His legs wobbled slightly and he had to catch himself against the counter above Karkat's head, giving the troll a full view of the soft red-tinted cock he loved so much. He blinked in slight surprise before John moved. "We burnt the cookies!" He gasped, tugging open the oven door only to step back at the burnt scent. "Damnit." He grabbed the pan with an oven mitten before dropping it atop the stove. The poor little blackened shapes never stood a chance.

Karkat snorted before it turned into a full laugh that made his belly shake. John stared at his laughing lover for a moment before he joined in, laughing at their states. Burning the cookies was completely worth it and they both knew that.

* * *

The cool touch of snow against his heated face sent a tingle down his spine. The troll inhaled the cool air, crimson eyes focused on the dark cloudy sky. He was wrapped from head to toe in warm clothing. Dark heavy boots, thick dark jeans, a t-shirt, a sweater and a coat with a scarf wrapped around his neck and that same green beanie that John was never getting back. Sure the human could wear it every so often to keep his scent on it, especially after Karkat washed it, but it was _his_ now.

"It's freezing out here." John commented, knocking Karkat from his thoughts as the human made his way down the stairs of the home they stood before. John tugged a blue hat down over his hair and quickly zipped up his jacket to make his way over to his lover standing in the snow-blanketed yard. "I wondered where you went off to."

Karkat gave a shrug as he returned his eyes to the sky. "It was hot in there."

"Uh-Huh." John smiled as he nudged the troll, stepping up beside him. "It totally has nothing to do with that moment you and Dave had under the mistletoe."

Karkat released a hiss, his lips curling over his fangs as he shot John a glare. "Bastard."

The human just laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Any moment Dave has to fuck with you he will take it. You gave him an opportunity."

"So did you, asshole. You could have kissed me instead." He grumbled, his cheeks flushed but whether it was the cold or the embarrassment, John couldn't tell.

"Hey, you're the one who stepped under it." John held his hands up in defense, a coy smile on his lips. "Dave got to you before I did."

"You did that shit on purpose."

John laughed softly, shoving his hands back into his pockets as he leaned against the troll's side. "I plead the fifth."

Karkat let out a growl. "Both of you are frustrating as hell."

"Yeah, but you love us." When Karkat just rolled his eyes, John smiled and pressed his face into Karkat's neck, pushing away the scarf with his chin. "Oh, come on. Admit it. You totally love us otherwise you wouldn't put up with us."

"Or I'm batshit insane."

"Oh, totally batshit insane." John agreed as he came around the troll, letting his hands rest on the others hips. "But mine." He leaned forward as Karkat tipped his head back so their lips could connect. The warm breath that caressed their faces and the tingle of their lips together made their chests swell with warmth.

"Oh you'll do that when we're alone." Karkat mumbled softly against those warm lips.

John blinked, pulling back enough so Karkat's entire face came into focus. "What? You're not actually mad about that are you?" Blue eyes widened slightly. "I kiss you all the time in front of them! It's Dave's fault. Dave talked me into it." His voice held a hint of panic that made Karkat roll his eyes.

"Shut up." He grumbled, grasping John's face between his palms as he pulled him into another kiss.

"You know I love you." John pressed closer, mumbling against plump lips. "I want the world to know, Karkat."

"Shh, I know, shut your mouth." Those grey cheeks flushed darker as he pulled him in for another kiss.

But before their lips could fully meet there was a smack of something cold and wet against Karkat's neck. The troll yelped in surprise, pulling away from John to brush the snow off his neck and send a heated glare to the smirking blonde standing on the porch.

"Dave!" John gasped, a bubble of laughter threatening to come from his throat.

"You two gonna suck face out here all day or what?" Dave replied. He was dressed to be out in the snow so he obviously had no intention of heading back inside any time soon. Inside; where all their friends were. Including Karkat's troll friends. Like Eridan, Kanaya, Terezi, Gamzee and Tavros.

"You whining footfucking column of holy hot fuck you." Karkat growled, his crimson eyes flashing as he bared his teeth at the blonde.

"Uh-oh, Dave." John giggled softly, moving to stand behind his fuming lover. "Run! Save yourself now."

Dave scoffed as he descended the stairs, his hands shoved into his pockets. "I ain't afraid of no troll."

John smirked, watching as Karkat's claws clenched and un-clenched. "You should be."

"Nah, bro. He's like a wet cat. He can't-Oh fuck." Dave didn't stand a chance. Karkat launched into the air much too quickly and when their bodies connected, the blonde found his back in the snow and a growling troll pinning him down. "No, dude, No, not the hair, not the hair. Aw, Fuck Karkat." The troll grinned as he ripped off the red beanie from Dave's head while the human tried to object and shoved a good handful of snow into his hair, ruffling it around.

"Blistering bulgefucker." Pearl fangs gleamed in the light as the troll smirked down at the blonde beneath him.

John grinned as he squatted beside them, glancing from Karkat to Dave. "I warned you."

"That's not how you have a snowball fight, Karkles." Dave stated, his eyes hidden behind his shades but a frown on his lips.

"You wanted a fight; I gave you one. And I won." The troll shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Kar." A light, elegant voice called from the front door of Dave's home. All three in the snow looked up to see the seadweller poking his head out of the door, his violet eyes narrowed behind black frames.

Karkat was on his feet instantly, kicking some snow on to Dave before heading toward his moirail. "What?"

Eridan glanced around before his eyes landed on Karkat. "Rose wwas hoping to do presents noww."

"Alright." Karkat turned toward the two in the snow and with a grin, John stood up straight and followed after Karkat. They paused by the door, glancing back at Dave who was still laying in the snow. "Hey asshole."

"Leave me to die. I lost against a troll. I deserve to die."

"Melodramatic as alwways." Eridan stated with a roll of his eyes, moving to open the door fully for John and Karkat.

"Don't be talking shit to me, Ampora!" Dave was quickly on his feet without much effort and brushed off the snow from his clothes and hair before shoving his hat back on. "The only drama queen here is you."

"Nope." Karkat stated, holding up a hand to either of them before he slipped past Eridan. "I'm not dealing with your black shit today."

"Ew." John crinkled his nose as he followed Karkat, a playful smile on his lips. "You two are gross."

"So says the ones making out in the front yard." Eridan pointed out, a cocky little smirk on his grey lips.

"I'd rather fuck one of those crazy bitches from "Teeth" then stick my dick in an Ampora." Dave stated, looking Eridan up and down as he stood on the small porch.

"Not having it!" Karkat called, grasping John's hand so the two could find the others in the living room and avoid the pitch display at the front door.

* * *

By the time Karkat and John stumbled through their apartment door, Karkat was sure his toes were going to fall off. Somehow, during their twenty-minute drive from Dave's to their apartment, the heat in John's car decided it didn't want to work anymore. It started blowing cold air instead of warm and even after they switched it off, it was pretty damn freezing in the vehicle.

"Goddamnit your grubshit excuse of a car." Karkat quickly tugged off his boots, his teeth chattering as his body shivered.

"N-Not my fault." John's teeth chattered just as bad as he removed his shoes.

"My fucking ears are going to chip and fall off." He was quickly to remove his coat, hat and scarf, tossing them in the direction of where they should hang before hurrying off to the couch. John watched in amusement as the troll grabbed a few blankets and successfully made a cocoon for himself on the couch.

"You want some hot coco?" John asked, shifting to drop his coat with Karkat's. They'd clean it up later.

"Fucking please."

John shook his head, chuckling as he moved into the kitchen. He popped two mugs in the microwave before tossing a few cookies on a small festive plate. He made hot coco in Karkat's black mug and tea in his own green one before heading to join the troll on the couch. He tilted his head, only seeing black hair peeking out from the blankets.

"Can I enter?"

Karkat shifted, pulling open a few blankets and waited for John to sit beside him before wrapping them up together. Once settled, he took his coco from John and savored the sweet taste in his mouth. John passed him the plate of cookies and the troll was eager to eat one.

"I'll try to see if I can get it fixed tomorrow." John commented, sipping his warm tea.

"Until then we take my car everywhere."

"Agreed." John nodded, slipping an arm around Karkat's shoulders to pull them close under the pile of blankets. "Hey."

"Hm?"

"I think the Grinch comes on tonight."

"What?"

"It's a Christmas classic."

"A movie?"

"Yup."

"Let's do this shit."

John grinned, planting a kiss to his lover's warm cheek before reaching for the TV remote.

* * *

Waking up on December 25th was like any other morning for the troll. Aside from the fact that he woke up to his lover planting soft kisses along his neck. He groaned, opening his eyes slowly to glance back at the human grinning at him. He grunted at that bright expression, not ready to handle an excited John first thing in the morning without his coffee.

"Merry Christmas." John mumbled with amusement in his tone.

"Merry Christmas." Karkat managed to mumble back, rolling on to his back as he rubbed a hand over his face. He could practically feel John wiggling with excitement beside him. "John. Coffee. Coffee and then I can handle you."

"Look beside you." He stated, biting on his lower lip to keep his smile down.

Crimson eyes blinked open as Karkat shifted his head to look at the table beside the bed. Sitting atop one of his well-read books was a tall black coffee mug with little red crabs patterned all over it. Karkat shifted on to his elbow to grasp the mug and pull it to his nose. It was full of steaming coffee that made the troll sigh in relief. He took a sip, letting the liquid coat his mouth before he swallowed.

"Like it?" John asked, nudging his chin against Karkat's shoulder.

"It's cute." He pulled the mug back to get a better look at it.

"Your other one is chipped so I thought a new one would be a good idea. Plus it's bigger. And crabby." He chuckled, nuzzling against messy raven hair. "Like you."

Karkat rolled his eyes but there was a soft smile on his lips as he took another sip of his coffee. "Thank you. I like it."

John nodded. "Now can you handle me?"

"Can I finish my coffee at least?"

"Can we move into the living room?"

Karkat debated for a moment before he nodded. John was quick to get out of bed and tossed on a t-shirt over his bare chest. Karkat moved a bit slower, setting his coffee down so he could tug on one of John's hoodies floating around their room. He left his boxer briefs as they were, gathered up his new coffee cup and followed his excited lover into the living room. Presents sat under the tree and most of them had been there for a while. John grinned, rounding the couch to move around the tree while Karkat plopped down on the couch, pulling his knees against his stomach as he leaned against the arm.

"Open one of mine." Karkat offered, taking a sip of coffee. "I've already got one from you."

John bounced on his heels. "Which one?"

"I don't care."

Blue eyes lit up. "So I can open the big one?" He pointed at the perfectly wrapped large box in the corner. Perfectly wrapped by Eridan, considering Karkat had no idea what he was doing and Eridan at least had some form of neatness that ran over into wrapping presents.

"Sure."

"Nooo. Karkat, you always save the biggest for last."

Karkat just shrugged. "It's not the most expensive one if that's what you're thinking."

John perked a brow. "Do I want to know how much you spent on me?"

"Probably not." Crimson eyes glistened as he took a gulp of coffee. "It's Christmas. Season of giving and all that other shit you said." He waved a hand in the air. "Plus Eridan told me you went all out for some reason. Which makes me wonder why the hell he knows what you got me."

"He doesn't... know everything." Tanned cheeks flushed as he quickly turned away to dip down and pick up a small present.

"Open the big one." Karkat stated suddenly, glancing at the silver wrapped present. "Save that one for last."

"Oh?" John tilted the box in his hands before placing it back on the ground. "Okay." He slipped around the tree to pull out the flat box, narrowing his eyes at it. He glanced at Karkat who just waved a hand at him before he started to tug at the paper. Less than a moment later the paper was ripped away to reveal something that made John grin. "You didn't."

"You were complaining about not having something to do while I'm reading in bed." Karkat just shrugged, a smile on his lips. "And that using your laptop isn't that comfortable."

"So you bought me a TV?"

"It's for both of us really. Now we can cuddle in bed and watch movies."

John grinned and moved around the couch to plop down beside Karkat. He pressed their lips together, his cheeks flushing with warm. "I love you."

Karkat smiled tenderly, rubbing a thumb over John's flushed cheek before pulling away. "And I pity you. Now give me my loot."

John chuckled, nuzzling into Karkat's cheek before he got up to grab another present.

* * *

"I can't help but wonder what he meant." Karkat stated as he opened the door to their apartment, savoring the warm heat that smacked him in the face.

"Don't worry about it, Karkat. He's just glad I have you." John followed behind him, shutting the door to shut out the cold night of the city.

"'Welcome to the family'." Karkat dropped his voice an octave to mimic John's father from a few hours previously. "Was I not already a part of the family?"

John sighed softly, his blue eyes glancing around the decorated apartment as Karkat removed his shoes. "Of course you were, Karkat, he was just trying to be nice. Remind you that he approves of us."

Karkat hummed and stared at John for a moment before shrugging. "I guess you're right." He tossed his coat on to one of the hooks by the door before tugging off his hat.

John sighed softly, nodding as he put his coat beside Karkat's. The troll was against him in an instant and John welcomed him with open arms. Their lips met in a soft kiss that made them both pull away with tender smiles. "Hi." John said through a grin.

Karkat grunted, shifting his weight on his feet as he leaned against the slightly taller male. "Have a good Christmas?"

"Yes." John beamed, pressing their noses together for a moment. "The absolute best."

"Good." Karkat slipped his hand down John's arm before linking their fingers together. "Wanna make it better?"

"Hm?"

"I'm cold. Come shower with me."

The look in those beautiful eyes was anything but innocent but with a lump in his throat, John declined. "Ah, You go ahead. I, um, I need to do something."

The troll perked a brow. "And what would that be?"

"Something..." His cheeks flushed before he moved Karkat toward the hallway. "G-Go ahead okay."

Karkat narrowed his eyes, looking John up and down before giving in. He knew his lover much too well. He knew John was planning something. He was pretty sure the flush meant it was nothing bad so for once, Karkat was willing to let it go. The warmth of the holiday had left him in a good mood. "Alright fine. Don't break anything." He warned the human before slipping down the hallway to their bedroom.

Karkat had wanted to enjoy his shower but John didn't join him and now he was much too curious to waste time. He stripped down, hopped in the shower and washed himself in under five minutes. He considered that John might need a decent amount of time to prepare whatever the fuck he was doing so, the troll took a little more time to wash his hair. He tried to figure out what John could be doing but nothing came to mind as he stepped out of the shower. He took a little more time to dry and towel dry his hair and by the time he returned to their bedroom, it had been fifteen minutes. Deciding that was enough time, Karkat tugged on fresh boxers and one of John's hoodies before heading back out into the living room. What greeted him was nothing he could have expected.

In the fifteen or so minutes Karkat had been gone, John had set up a crazy amount of candles all over the living room and lit them. The only light in the room came from those candles and the glistening Christmas tree. Karkat perked a brow and glanced at his lover who was standing nervously by the couch with a guitar in his hand.

"What... is this?" Karkat asked softly, his throat tight.

"Ah, well, I have one more gift for you." John bit his lower lip, glancing at the kitchen chair he'd pulled out. "Will you listen?"

"Um..." Karkat swallowed hard. "Y-Yeah. I will." He moved past John and sat himself in the chair , glancing up as the human tugged one of the bar stools from the island and placed it a few feet before Karkat. Then, he leaned against it, pulling the guitar against his stomach, wrapping his elegant fingers around the fret board.

"I just, Um, I wrote you something. And I... Yeah." His cheeks were flushed but his eyes were dancing with so much affection it made Karkat's chest swell. The only thing Karkat could do was nod in response. "Okay." John smiled nervously, and placed his fingers where they needed to be. A song was not something John had ever given Karkat before. Sure the male sang for him all the time but this... This was different.

"1, 2, 3." John counted, tapping his thumb against the wooden guitar before a few cords flowed from his fingers. Karkat's breath caught in his throat and all he could do was watch in awe as John began to sing.

" _Stay for tonight, if you want to, I can show you,what my dream are made of. As I'm dreaming of your face. I've been away for a long time, such a long time and I miss you there. I can't imagine being anywhere else; I can't imagine being anywhere else but here."_

John paused in his guitar strumming, glancing up to see Karkat watching him with wide eyes swirling with emotion. He swallowed hard, a smirk curling to his lips as they parted for him to continue. The tempo changed, sending a strange shiver down Karkat's spine.

" _How the hell did you ever pick me, honestly, cause I could sing you a song, but I don't think words can express your beauty. It's singing to me. How the hell do we end up like this? You bring out the beast in me. I fell in love from the moment we kissed. Since then we've been history."_

A smile came to John's lips as he gave the guitar two long strums that made Karkat's heart thump.

" _They say that love is forever. Your forever is all that I need. Please stay, as long as you need. Can't promise that things won't be broken, but I swear that I will never leave. Please stay forever with me_."

John continued to play the guitar as he whispered, " _If you want to I can show you."_ A few times before he the tempo changed once again and he glanced up in time to catch those loving crimson eyes, not looking away.

" _It goes to show I hope that you know that you are what my dreams are made of. And I can't fall asleep; I lay in my bed awake at night. And I fall in love. You'll fall in love. It could mean everything, everything to me. Oooo, This could mean everything to me."_

The smile on John's face when he switched frets made Karkat gasp for air, not even realizing his eyes were filling with tears.

" _They say that love is forever. Your forever is all that I need. Please stay, as long as you need. Can't promise that things won't be broken, but I swear that I will never leave. Please stay forever-_ _The way that we are is the reason I stay. As long as you're here with me, I know I'll be okay_."

John continued on with the guitar, refusing to look away as red tears fell from his lover's eyes. He smiled softly, feeling the prickle of tears in his own eyes but kept them down as he continued.

" _They say that love is forever, your forever is all that I need. Please stay, please stay as long as you need. Can't promise that things won't be broken, but I swear that I will never leave. Please stay forever with me_." His voice broke a little at the end but he pushed through, smiling as he sang softly. " _It goes to show I hope that you know that you are, what my dreams are made of._ " And then he gave the guitar one last strum for letting out his softest spoke line yet, " _Please stay forever with me._ "

It took a moment for Karkat to remember to breathe and another moment to realize there were soft red tears slipping down his cheeks. He swallowed hard, taking in a gasp of air as John moved off the stool and placed Dave's guitar against it.

"Okay, Before you say anything." John started, his hands shaking as he held them out to Karkat. "There's one more thing." He approached the troll before dropping down to his knees before him. "I know... Fuck, um." He coughed, clearing his throat as he smiled nervously up at the troll while tugging something out of his pocket. "I thought really hard about this only to realize it was probably the easiest decision I've ever made." He mumbled as he fumbled with the box in his hands, his eyes never leaving Karkat's. "There's a lot we can't do since... well, we're different. But, I still wanted... I wanted to do something and this... it seemed like the best option." He took a deep breath as he held out the box to the shaking troll.

Karkat didn't trust his voice enough to speak so he took the white box between his claws and carefully pulled the top off. Nestled in white were two identical silver rings. With his heart in his throat, Karkat carefully plucked out the rounder one and held it between his shaking claws so he could get a better look. Etched into the silver was a beautiful heart and then another symbol. An Alternian symbol that could only mean matesprite. It was an old and ancient language the trolls no longer used and the fact that John had used it... Well, it was extremely touching to the troll.

"I, Um, I asked Eridan. Since he's your moirail and all. He helped a lot." John was careful as he took the ring from Karkat's claws only to slip it onto the ring finger of his left hand. "Marriage isn't an option for us right now, but this... I just want to have this." John grabbed the other ring, obviously meant for him, and slipped it on his ring finger before grasping Karkat's hands within his to plant a soft kiss on his knuckles. "Proof that we're this. No matter what anyone says... No matter whose against this, we are... We stand strong and we... Love each other." John's cheeks flushed darkly. "God, it sounds so dorky when I put it that way."

"It's... not." Karkat managed to state. "It's not dorky at all." He hissed, tugging his hands away from John's to fall forward, his arms going around the human's neck while his knees connected with the ground. "You asshole." He grumbled, burying his face in John's neck as he held him tightly. "Making me cry."

John let out a laugh of relief as he wrapped his arms around his lover. "So you liked it?"

"You're not allowed to be this romantic." Karkat stated, pulling away to meet tear-filled blue. "I don't think I can handle it."

But the human just smiled, wide and bright. "I love you, Karkat."

With a deep breath, a smile came to Karkat's lips as he nodded once. " _I love you_." He stated firmly before pulling the male into a warm, loving kiss, the rings sparkling on their fingers.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Merry Christmas everyone and a special Merry Christmas to weobviouslyhavenolife. 
> 
> Please let me know what you thought!! Thanks again!
> 
> ~Addy~


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